Flowers In Bloom
by Orennjii
Summary: Kuroko, Tetsuya lives in a remote part of the forest along with his caretaker, Kagami, Taiga. After a war leaves the land in fear and desperation, a red haired man shows up injured on his doorstep. As the tension between the kingdoms rises, will Kuroko find love? And what exactly is Taiga hiding from Tetsuya? [AkashixKurokoxKagami]
1. Chapter 1

Seijuro groaned, pain wracking his whole body. His throat was dry and he could barely open his eyes. His eyes had a hard time adjusting to the light and his body was heavy, almost yelling in pain as a sharp pain on his side because increasingly painful the more he tried to move. Once his eyes finished adjusting, he scanned his surroundings, looking to find anything he could use as a weapon. He was in what seemed like a wooden cabin. The room was quite small, only including a bed, a nightstand with a lamp and a dresser. He took the glass of water from the nightstand, bringing it up to his chapped lips and tilting his head back in an attempt to drink it.

'It's shameful,' Seijuro thought, his hands tightly gripping the cup. 'The crown prince of Rakuzan, losing against the likes of Haizaki.' The last thing he remembered was fighting against the kingdom of Fukuda Sogo and coming face to face with the King himself, Shogo, Haizaki. He remembered the pain of a sword going through his body and the horrified faces of his comrades. He didn't know how he got here and it certainly didn't look familiar. He expected the marble walls of his castle and the comfort of a bed that was made for a prince. This place was definitely not his castle.

He heard footsteps approach, a small voice humming to a song. He got up despite the pain he was in and limped towards the door, hiding behind it and getting ready to jump the person that came through. The door creaked open and a pale, baby blue haired boy walked through carrying a transparent white box filled with medical supplies. The humming stopped as the boy gasped, realizing that Seijuro was no longer on the bed, dropping the box in the process. He took the chance to strike, grabbing the boy from behind and slamming him against the floor. The boy yelped, looking up at Seijuro in fear as his fist went up, about to punch him.

"Tetsuya!" A voice yelled, as well as the loud barks of a dog. Seijuro looked up, a sword pointed right at him. "'Let him go. You're in no position to fight." The dark haired male glared at him, his posture showing that he was a skilled swordsman. As skilled as Seijuro was in fighting, he knew when he was at a disadvantage. He slowly let go of the boy, slowly backing away from the man. The man helped the boy back up, asking if he was okay.

"Please, we don't want to hurt you," Tetsuya spoke, his voice small and timid. "We found you terribly injured a few days ago and brought you here. I've been taking tending to your wounds ever since. All I want to do is change your bandages, as well as close the wound that you reopened." Seijuro raised an eyebrow, cautiously sitting back on the bed, watching Tetsuya carefully as he picked up the medical supplies and pulled up a chair in front of him. "We'll be alright, Tatsuya. Please leave me with him."

The dark haired man left, still glaring at Seijuro, while the dog ran to Tetsuya's side, wagging his tail as he stared up at Seijuro. "Sorry about Tatsuya. He meant no harm. He was just trying to protect me," Tetsuya said, carefully unwrapping the gauze around Seijuro's waist.

"Who are you?" Seijuro asked, wincing in pain even at the gentlest of touch. "And where am I?"

"Kuroko, Tetsuya," he replied, taking cotton balls and slowly dabbing around the large gash on his side that started bleeding again. "You're in my home in the town of Seirin and this little guy beside me is Nigou." The dog barked in response, his tongue hanging out. He eyed Tetsuya up and down as he started stitching him back up.

"I'm Seijuro," he introduced. "You said you found me and took care of me?"

Tetsuya nodded, a smile on his face. "You gave me Taiga and I quite a fright," he said. "We thought you were dead with the amount of injuries you had. I'm surprised you're still alive." Tetsuya started rewrapping his side with fresh gauze, tying it gently at the end.

"Thank you," Seijuro paused. "And I would also like to apologize for my actions."

"Don't worry," Tetsuya smiled, changing the gauze on his shoulder. "I understand why you reacted the way you did. Anyone would if they woke up in a place that they didn't know." Once Tetsuya was done tending to his wounds, he started packing everything back in the bin and set it to the side. He walked over to the dresser, picking up a pair of neatly folded clothes stacked on top. "You can go ahead and change into these and after you can meet me outside and I'll have some food ready for you by then. You must be starving." He placed the clothes beside Seijuro before leaving the room, Nigou trailing behind him.

* * *

 **Ayyee short chapter. Next chapter will be longer, promise!**


	2. Chapter 2

Seijuro opened the door to the living room, making note of how small it was. It was a bit jarring, considering that he's lived in a castle all of his life but despite the size it felt...comfortable. It had a kitchen and a dining table fit for four people pushed against the wall by the window, as well as a couch coupled with a coffee table in the living room as well as a bookshelf overflowing with books.

He watched as Tetsuya placed a plate of food onto the dining table across from where Tatsuya sat, legs crossed and sipping his coffee filled mug. "Glad to see that the clothes fit," Tatsuya said. "I'm Tatsuya. Sorry about earlier."

"No, it was my fault," he said, taking a seat across Tatsuya.

"Judging from your reaction, I'm guessing you're a soldier?" Tatsuya asked, a smile on his face. He narrowed his eyes, eyeing the taller man. He knew something.

"I guess you could say that," he replied, trying to keep his composure despite the pain he felt.

"Really? Tatsuya used to be in the army as well and Taiga as well," Tetsuya informed, placing a cup of water beside his plate. Nigou dashed for the door, barking and running circles in front of of it. "Speaking of which-"

"Tetsuya, I'm home," a lazy voice greeted, opening the front door. Seijuro almost coughed, the apathetic tone of Taiga's voice reminding him too much of someone back home. Taiga entered through the door, a bag of groceries cradled on one of his arms. "Gah! Nigou calm down!" He yelled as Nigou tried to jump him, smelling the dog treats inside the bag.

Tetsuya walked over, picking up Nigou and petting him on the head. "You shouldn't do that; Taiga could get hurt," he scolded, earning a whine in response. Taiga looked at him in confusion, before a grin appeared on his lips. He placed the groceries on the counter before walking over to Seijuro.

"Glad to see you're awake, I'm Kagami, Taiga," he introduced, holding his hand out.

Seijuro eyed his hand suspiciously, before shaking his hand. "Seijuro," he replied nonchalantly.

"I thought for a second there that you were a goner," Taiga laughed, receiving a slap on the shoulder from Tetsuya.

"You shouldn't say such morbid things, Taiga," Tetsuya warned along with a bark from Nigou in agreement.

Taiga stuck his tongue out at Nigou, "Hey, I bought you dog treats, you should be on my side."

"How's everyone in town?" Tetsuya asked, setting Nigou down.

"It's still pretty bad but everyone's doing their best to help out," Taiga replied, grabbing an apple from the bag and wiping it against his shirt.

"What's going on?" Seijuro asked, taking a bite of his food.

Tatsuya stared at him, the same ominous look on his face. "There was a war between Fukuda Sogo and Rakuzan a couple of days ago," He said. "Rakuzan lost and they're making towards the kingdom, pretty much destroying and stealing goods off of the small towns that they pass along the way."

"It's awful," Tetsuya added, a sad look on his face. Taiga placed a hand on Tetsuya's head and ruffled his hair in an attempt to cheer him up.

Seijuro gripped his fork in anger, flashbacks of the war resonating in his head. Rakuzan lost because of him and he had to get back to his kingdom and help fight. Seijuro stood up, hastily walking to the door while clutching his side.

"Seijuro?" Tetsuya asked. "Where are you going?"

"I have to get to Rakuzan. I don't have time to stay here," He said, prying the door open and making his way outside. The cabin was surrounded with trees, a small garden that rested around the cabin. Tetsuya ran after him but was stopped just as he stepped outside of the door by Tatsuya.

"Let Taiga handle this," Tatsuya said, grabbing hold of his wrist.

"But-"

"He knows what he's doing." Tetsuya looked at him before sighing in defeat, watching Taiga run after Seijuro.

[]

"Wait," Taiga shouted, running in front of Seijuro to stop him. "You should at least wait until you've healed properly."

"I don't have time for this."

"What are you going to do once you get there? How are you even going to get there in the first place?" Taiga asked. "You can barely walk and if you reopen your wounds and no one's able to treat you, you could die before you even get to the city."

"You don't get it. I have my duties. I can't stay here and play house with a couple of peasants."

"Peasants? Is that how you treat people who saved your life, Your Highness?" Seijuro smirked; as expected, they did know who they are.

"So...you knew."

"It wasn't that hard once I found the golden emblem of Rakuzan pinned to your uniform. Only those of royalty are allowed to wear those."

"You're not as dumb as you look."

"Well, you surprisingly don't look as dumb as you actually are." Seijuro's eyes twitched. How dare he speak to him this way? "Look, I could care less about you leaving. The only reason I'm here is because of Tetsuya. If he let you leave while you're incapable of defending yourself, he'll never live it down. So, you better march your ass back up to that cabin or we're going to have a problem." Seijuro glared at him, knowing he had lost.

[]

Seijuro sat on the couch, begrudgingly reading one of the books on the shelf as Taiga cooked dinner. Tatsuya left quite some time ago to help out around the village and Tetsuya was sitting on the porch at the last step of the stairs accompanied by Nigou who was resting on his lap.

"Hey, I know you have servants at the castle to cater to your every whim but since you're doing absolutely nothing, why don't you take that blanket to Tetsuya?" Taiga said, pointing to the plaid blanket that sat on the couch. "He might catch a cold." Seijuro scoffed as he stood up, taking the blanket and made his way to the porch, closing the door behind him. He walked towards Tetsuya, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders.

Tetsuya flinched in surprise, broken from his trance. "Thank you, Seijuro," he thanked, pulling the blanket closer to him. "Would you like to accompany me?" He asked, patting the empty space next to him. He obliged, taking a seat next to Tetsuya. He looked up, the stars taking over the night sky. It was different here. At Rakuzan you don't see a lot of stars but in the countryside, everything was so clear.

He looked over at Tetsuya, slightly entranced by the way the rays of the moonlight lit him up. His pale skin looked like it was glowing and his nose and cheeks had a slight tint of pink from the cold. His thin and slender hands stroking from Nigou's head down to his back as the dog was curled up comfortably on his lap.

"What's it like - living in the city?" Tetsuya asked.

"Have you never been?"

Tetsuya shook his head. "I've only been outside the forest a few times and that was only to go into town but other than that, I usually stay in it."

"Is there a reason?" Seijuro asked, his eyes falling to Tetsuya's lips.

"Taiga has always been overprotective," Tetsuya replied. "He rarely lets me leave the forest. He says it's a lot safer in the forest than it is outside of it."

"Doesn't it get boring?"

Tetsuya chuckled, the sound ringing through Seijuro's ears. "It does," he replied. "But I owe a lot to him and his father and know that he does it to keep me safe."

"Have you never questioned his ways?"

"I have," he paused. "But I felt bad because I told him I hated him and he started crying." Seijuro smirked at the thought. "I couldn't believe that a grown man was capable of crying like a child."

"I can't believe you're telling him about that." Tetsuya and Seijuro turned around, seeing an pouting Taiga with his arms crossed by the door.

"I'm sorry, Taiga. It's not everyday we get a new visitor," Tetsuya laughed.

"Whatever," Taiga huffed. "Dinner's ready." He informed before going back inside.

Tetsuya stood up, cradling Nigou in his arms. "Are you coming?" He asked.

"Yeah," Seijuro replied, standing from his seat and following Tetsuya inside.

"You should accompany Tatsuya and I to pick herbs tomorrow if you feel up to it. I'll tell you more embarrassing stories about Taiga."

"Oi!"

* * *

 **Hope everyone liked it! Don't forget to review *-***


	3. Chapter 3

_"You will die by my hands, Seijuro!" Shogo yelled, swinging his sword. Seijuro back stepped out of the way, clashing his sword against his enemy's._

 _"It seems you've forgotten: I am absolute," Seijuro replied. The two men fought, their will unwavered. The soldiers against them fought against each other, leaving a trail of blood in their path._

 _Haizaki smirked, his lips pursed as he whistled. "Not anymore." A loud roar erupted from the skies, shaking the ground beneath them. The fighting stopped and for a moment it was complete silence until a flaming red dragon emerged from the clouds._

 _Seijuro lost composure. A dragon hasn't been since the fall of the dragon empire and the sight of a dragon right before his eyes was both amazing and terrifying. Seijuro just watched as the fire burned down his allies. He turned around, watching as Shogo's lips formed into a grin._

 _"You lose."_

Seijuro shot up from the bed, panting and drenched in sweat. His wounds stung and he clutched his side in pain. He heard the pitter patter of Nigou's feet - the dog making its way to the edge of his bed. Nigou whined, propping himself up on the bed. "Just a nightmare," he said, petting the dog's head.

"Taiga," Tetsuya whispered. He laid on Taiga's bed, covers pulled up to his shoulders while Taiga slept on the floor beside him. Ever since they met Seijuro, he's been taking up Tetsuya's room and Taiga was way too uncomfortable sharing the same bed with Tetsuya. "Taiga," he whispered out again.

Still no reply.

Tetsuya took the pillow beside him and promptly smacked Taiga in the face. The latter woke up in a panic, his incessant snoring coming to a halt as he jolted from his makeshift bed. Tetsuya chuckled, earning a glare from Taiga. "What was that for?" Taiga asked, his voice husky.

"I've been trying to wake you up for the past few minutes but you sleep like a log," Tetsuya pouted. "I'm hungry. Feed me."

Taiga groaned, running a hand through his red hair. "What time is it?"

"4:25 in the morning," Kuroko replied.

The redhead looks at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Why are you even up?"

"Couldn't sleep." Taiga sighed, getting up and taking a seat on the edge of the bed next to Tetsuya.

"So, are you going to tell me what's bugging you?"

Tetsuya sat up, leaning against the headboard. "How do you know something's bugging me?"

Taiga almost laughed. "Ever since we took you in, you've only stayed up this late four times: One, when you woke up after we found you. Two, when dad passed away. Three, when we got into that fight about your parents and four was when you got that sugar rush after eating the chocolates that Tatsuya bought you for Christmas a few years ago."

Tetsuya sighed, moving so he could lay his head on Taiga's lap. Taiga ran his fingers through Tetsuya's blue locks, something he knew always made the younger one feel better. "Do you think Seijuro's family is looking for him?"

Taiga sighed, he knew where this was going. "Of course, any parent would if their child went missing. I'm sure of it."

Tetsuya paused, playing with the fabric of Taiga's pants. "Do you think my parents are still looking for me?"

"Hey, we talked about this," he replied. "We looked everywhere for your parents and we couldn't find them. I'm sorry...I know that's not what you wanted to hear."

Tetsuya sat up, leaning his head on Taiga's shoulder. "It isn't but…" Tetsuya placed a hand on top of Taiga's. "Thanks, I know it's tough to listen to me whine about my parents all the time."

"Aw…" Taiga placed a kiss on Tetsuya's forehead. "You've always been tough to handle."

Tetsuya looked at Taiga, his mouth wide open and his eyebrows scrunched. "You're so rude."

Taiga laughed, ruffling Tetsuya's hair. "I know," he smiled. "Come on, let's go make some pancakes. It'll make you feel better."

Seijuro wasn't able to go back to bed. His head was racing with thoughts of what happened. He thought dragons were extinct but to see one in front of his eyes left him paralyzed and shaken. Akashi, Seijuro, the man who believes not in failure realized that Rakuzan could lose this war.

He heard a loud crash from outside the bedroom and a voice yelling, "Ow, Fuck me!" and another voice shushing him. Nigou's ears perked up and ran to the door, violently scratching the wood and barking to get his master's attention. He walked over to the door and Nigou ran towards the crack of the door. Before Seijuro could even fully open it, the dog managed to squeeze his way through the crack.

"Hi, buddy," Tetsuya cooed, picking up the dog and cradling him in his arms. "Did you watch over Seijuro?" Nigou barked in response, basking in the attention that his master was giving him. Tetsuya looked over at Seijuro, "Sorry for waking you."

Seijuro shook his head, "No, I couldn't sleep anyways."

"We're making pancakes," Tetsuya said, poking Nigou's nose. "Well...Taiga's making pancakes but I'm cheering him on."

"Taiga, would you mind taking me to town today?" Seijuro asked.

Taiga took out the ingredients from the cupboards, "Are you sure you're well enough to be up that much? What do you need?"

"I need to send a pigeon to my father," Seijuro eyed Tetsuya. "He's probably worried sick."

"Sure, we'll go at 9."

Seijuro walked behind Taiga, following him to the pigeon post. The town was quite small and it had obviously been ransacked when Shogo and his army came through but the people seemed to be coping pretty well. "You said the army passed through here?" He asked.

"Yeah," Taiga answered. "It was pretty terrible. They took a lot of our resources but thankfully no one was hurt."

"Did you by any chance see anything strange?" Seijuro knew it would sound like he lost his mind but he had to know.

"Strange?" Taiga asked, raising an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Like a dragon?"

Taiga stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Seijuro. "A dragon?" Taiga paused, contemplating something before shaking his head. "Impossible," he said. "Dragons have been extinct for several years." Seijuro eyed the taller one suspiciously. He knew something but he knew it was going to take more than a simple question to get Taiga to tell the truth. "Hey...uh...mind if we drop by the bookstore on the way back? It's Tetsuya's birthday tomorrow and I haven't gotten him a present yet." Seijuro nodded in response.

"Hyah!" A blue haired man yelled, slicing down an enemy soldier in his path. He watched as the body dropped to the ground and put his sword back in its sheath.

"That's the last of them," A blonde haired male informed, turning over a dead body of another enemy soldier.

"Don't rest yet," They both looked over to a green haired man adjusting his glasses. "We've still got more camps to hit."

"Eh~," A purple haired giant whined. "But I'm tired~."

"If Seijuro was here, he wouldn't have let them get this far," The blue haired one scoffed.

Seijuro scanned the bookstore, his eyes searching for anything with the word 'dragons.' Taiga was searching around the bookstore as well but his intentions of searching were different from Seijuro's. The shelves in the bookstore were stacked with dusty, old books. It was challenging to walk around as the books were stacked messily on the floors and shelves, making mobility less than ideal. His eyes found a book hidden under the bookshelves. Had it not been for his keen eyes, it would not have been found. He slid out the book, careful not to disturb the mountainous piles of books around him. Once he had the book in his hands, he wiped the dust off, almost coughing from the amount of dust that flew off. The book didn't have a title, just a seal of a dragon that took up a small portion of the middle of the cover. A groan escaped his lips as the realization of his financial situation dawned on him. It's not like he could ask Taiga either, considering he was as suspicious as they get. He had no choice. He hid the book in his jacket, sandwiching it between his arm and the side of his chest. He walked over to the cash register where Taiga was paying. Taiga said a quick 'thank you' and turned to look at Seijuro. "You ready to go?" He asked.

"Yeah."

The trek back to the cabin wasn't long and it gave Seijuro a chance to memorize escape routes in case things went sideways. Once the cabin was in sight, they saw Tetsuya playing with Nigou in front of the was wiggling on his back, barking happily as Tetsuya rubbed his belly.

"We're back," Taiga greeted.

Tetsuya looked up and smiled happily. "Taiga, Seijuro, welcome back!" He stood up, much to the dismay of Nigou. "Did you get me anything?" He asked Taiga.

Taiga smirked. "You'll have to wait until midnight," he teased, ruffling Tetsuya's hair and making his way inside. Tetsuya crossed his arms, making his way inside followed by Nigou.

"Seijuro, would you like to join me and Nigou for lunch?" Tetsuya asked. "We're going to have a picnic by the river." Nigou barked, running over to Seijuro pawing at his shins.

He wanted to say no but there was something about the way Tetsuya looked at him that made him unable to. "Yeah, sure," he replied. "Just let me freshen up." He turned on his heel and walked into his room, closing the door behind him.

"Why wasn't I invited?" Taiga asked, shoving half a muffin in his mouth.

Tetsuya packed the picnic basket that laid open on the kitchen counter. "Tatsuya is coming over in a bit, remember?"

"Is he?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Tetsuya scolded. "And yes, he is. Seeing as you never let me listen to your conversations, I thought I'd take Seijuro out for lunch."

Once Seijuro exited from his room, Tetsuya picked up the picnic basket. "You ready?"

"Yeah."

"Be good while I'm gone, Taiga."

Seijuro took a bite off his sandwich, watching as Nigou growled at the fish that he could see by the edge of the river. Tetsuya and him sat underneath the shade of a tree, a cloth with food laid out on top. "May I ask you something?" He asked, finishing his sandwich.

"Of course. Anything at all," Tetsuya replied.

"Don't you find it a bit strange that Taiga treats you like you're a child?"

Tetsuya shook his head, pouring tea into the two mugs in front of them. "Taiga's father was the one who found me and took me in and after he passed away, Taiga took over," Tetsuya explained, adding honey and stirring it in the tea. "So, I suppose it's natural for Taiga to be so protective."

"Found you?"

Tetsuya nodded, "I don't remember what happened before I was taken in by Taiga's father, not even my parents or where I'm from. I really only knew my name." He finished stirring the tea and passed it to Seijuro who said a quiet 'thanks.' "Taiga's father used to be a traveller and he said he found me unconscious during his travels and took me in. I honestly owe him my life."

"You've never thought about looking for your parents?"

"I've thought about it numerous times...but it's hard to miss people you don't remember. Taiga, Tatsuya & Nigou are my family now and I'm content with that."

"Aren't you the least bit curious?" Seijuro asked. "Your parents might still be alive and they might be waiting for you to come home."

"I guess so…," Tetsuya fiddle with the hem of his shirt. "But Taiga said they looked everywhere for my parents but they never found anyone. What about your parents? If you don't mind me asking that is."

Seijuro took a sip of his tea and put it down. "My father's the K-" he cut himself short, remembering that Taiga told him not to tell. "He's a merchant," he said. "My family and I used to travel and sell goods until we earned enough money to buy a permanent store in Rakuzan."

"Wow," Tetsuya said in awe. "What was it like travelling to so many different places?"

"It was fun," he replied. "It was tough moving around so much but I guess it made moving to Rakuzan all the more rewarding."

A comfortable silence befell the two. Seijuro thought the small town was beautiful - more peaceful and quiet than living in the city. If he didn't have duties and responsibilities, he would have seriously considered moving here. "You know…" he paused. "If you want, you can come with me to Rakuzan. My father has connections and he can help you find your parents."

"W-What?" Tetsuya's face turned red, again. "There's no way Taiga would let me."

"Then ask him to come with us."

"I-I guess I can ask him." Tetsuya sighed. "Don't you think he'll be upset?"

"You never know until you try."

Tetsuya and Seijuro entered the cabin, wiping off their shoes on the doormat before entering. "There you guys are." They looked up and saw Taiga munching away on an apple at the dining table. "I was starting to get bored."

Tetsuya chuckled, placing the picnic basket on the counter. "Where's Tatsuya?" He took the dishes out of the picnic basket and placed them neatly in the kitchen sink.

"He came and went. Said something about having to look into something." He looked over at Seijuro throwing the apple core in the garbage. "I managed to get your armor fixed and your sword sharpened. They're in your room if you want to try it out."

"That's so sweet of you, Taiga," Tetsuya teased.

"Sh-Shut up!" Taige turned his attention to Seijuro. "It was the least I could do since you've been keeping this kid out of trouble," Taiga joked, pointing at Tetsuya.

"I am not a kid!" Tetsuya retorted, pouting.

As night fell over the household, so did the need to go to bed. Tetsuya had turned in early and just when Seijuro thought he would find the time to read the book, he was interrupted by Taiga and Tatsuya, calling him over to help cook. Taiga had cooked a feast and baked vanilla flavoured pastries while Tatsuya decorated the living room.

"Um. it's almost midnight, shouldn't we be heading to bed?" Seijuro asked, watching as Taiga and Tatsuya rushed to finish their duties.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you," Taiga said, taking the pastries out of the oven. "We usually celebrate our birthdays at midnight. It's a long running tradition in this household."

"That's...weird," he commented, earning an eye roll from Taiga.

"Maybe to you, your highness but us peasants don't have holidays set aside for our birthdays."

Seijuro scoffed. He's been here for almost two weeks and every single time Tetsuya leaves the room, Taiga never fails to make smart ass comments. Seijuro tries not to react. After all, he is royalty. He has no time to deal with childish games.

After they finished cooking and decorating, Taiga knocked on the door to his room where Tetsuya was sleeping. A few moments later, Tetsuya opened the door, still groggy from his sleep, only to be greeted by a loud 'Happy Birthday!'. Tetsuya jumped, slightly embarrassed when Tatsuya and Taiga started singing happy birthday enthusiastically. He usually wouldn't feel so embarrassed but they had a guest over.

"Thanks, you guys," Tetsuya said, a tint of pink flushed over his cheeks. He blew out the candles on his cake and smiled widely as he saw the food that Taiga had prepared for him. This was his favourite tradition.

They sat around the small dining table, Tetsuya happily munching on his food. Taiga ate like a pig while Tatsuya scolded him and Seijuro looked at him like he was an animal. After eating, Tetsuya was given presents from Tatsuya and Taiga. Tatsuya gave him a new jacket that he bought during his travels and Taiga gave him the most recent book of a series he'd been reading.

"Th-Thank you," he said. "But...um...I actually wanted to ask you something, Taiga."

"What is it?"

Tetsuya glanced over at Seijuro. "I wanted to ask if I can go with Seijuro to the capital city."

"Absolutely not."

"But Taiga, it could be a chance to let my family know that I'm alive and well. Don't you think we should at least give it a shot?" Tetsuya pleaded, trying to bargain with the older male.

"And then what? What are you going to do once you find them?" Taigas asked. Tetsuya didn't say anything but just looked down at the table. "Tetsuya, I'm sorry but I can't guarantee your safety out there. Here, you're safe and I'd rather have you here than go out there with the possibility of being harmed."

"You'll be there to protect me, like you always have," Tetsuya argued. "Tatsuya?" He looked over at the dark haired male.

The older man sighed, shaking his head. "Why don't you let him go, Taiga? Like he said, you'll be there to look out for him and Seijuro doesn't seem too bad with a sword either."

"That's not the point." Taiga sighed in annoyance. "Tetsuya, I'm sorry but I can't allow it."

"But Taiga-"

"Tetsuya, I said no!" Tetsuya flinched: Taiga had never raised his voice at him like that.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have raised my voice. It's your birthday, we shouldn't be arguing," Taiga said, getting up from his chair.

Tetsuya, played with the hem of his shirt, his fingers fiddling from the tension in the room. He hesitantly nodded. "Y-Yeah…" he whispered. "U-Um...I'm going to get ready for bed. Excuse me," he said before walking to his room and closing the door. Seijuro sighed at the disaster that unfolded in front of him before getting up and walking to Tetsuya's room, closing and locking the door behind him.

"You really shouldn't have done that," Tatsuya scolded, shaking his head at his old friend.

"I didn't know what to do, okay? He's never been that persistent before."

"Taiga, you can't keep him here forever," Tatsuya said. "He's 19 already."

"I know."

"There's only one year left, Taiga. Don't you think he should see the world before then?"

Taiga slumped against the couch. He knew Tatsuya was right but he didn't want to admit it.

"I'll think about it," Taiga said, rubbing his temples.

Nigou whined, rubbing his side against his master's legs. Tetsuya smiled, bending down and petting Nigou on the head. The door opened revealing Seijuro who closed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Tetsuya apologized, placing a coat over himself.

"No, it's alright." Seijuro paused. "Are you feeling okay?"

Tetsuya sighed and nodded. "I'm okay. I knew he was never going to say yes. It's my fault for getting my hopes up." Tetsuya sat at the edge of the bed, sighing. "Would you mind if I slept here tonight? I can take the floor."

"No, it's okay," Seijuro said, taking a seat beside Tetsuya. "I don't mind."

"Sometimes, I just don't get him…" Tetsuya whispered.

Seijuro took Tetsuya's hand in his, "If you really want to go...we can find a way."

Tetsuya shook his head, "Not now. I just...need to get some rest." Tetsuya moved over, adjusting the pillow. He tilted his head, feeling something hard at the bottom of the pillow. "What's this?"

"Wait-"

He took out the book looking at in in curiousity. He ran his fingers in the crevices of the emblem. "This looks familiar."

* * *

 **Re-did this chapter because I wasn't satisfied with it before *-***


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